Camping and the enjoyment of the outdoors have always been favorite activities of many, many people. In recent years the popularity of camping has increased substantially. One result of the increasing popularity of outdoor activities has been a similar increase in the market for camping gear of all kinds. This invention relates to one specific segment of the market for products designed for use in the outdoors, whether it is in camping, car camping or otherwise: products for storing, organizing and transporting gear.
When camping, car camping, picnicking or tailgating, or enjoying the outdoors in other manners it is almost always desirable to bring along gear for use in the preparation of meals. Anyone who has spent much time in the outdoors appreciates that gear such as cookware, and even food, is often inconveniently packed into containers such as cardboard boxes or paper or plastic bags. While such containers hold a wide variety of gear, the gear is often inaccessible or hard to find when it is really needed. Moreover, items tend to be placed into containers in an arbitrary arrangement--for instance, where ever a particular item may happen to fit--resulting in an unorganized packing job. Again, one result is that it is hard to find a specific item when it is needed unless you happen to remember where the item was placed.
There is a need, therefore, for storage and organizing containers for use in outdoor activities that alleviate these problems and make camping easier and more enjoyable. But in addition to storing gear for outdoor cooking, it is beneficial when camping to have a solid work surface for preparing meals. For instance, a work surface is necessary for cutting food, and for storing pots and pans being used to prepare the food. Lacking a good work surface, campers often must rely on picnic tables or folding tables for this function, or even on the relatively level surfaces provided by stumps. However, the sanitation of picnic tables and stumps is of obvious concern when preparing food. While portable tables address these concerns, they tend to be bulky and not easily moved from place to place. As such, these kinds of surfaces do not readily address the needs of campers.
Finally, the size and weight of storage containers designed for outdoor use is a primary concern. Most car campers have a limited amount of storage capacity in their cars for transporting their equipment. Large, rigid containers may occupy more space in a car's trunk than the camper can allot to those items. And rigid containers by their very nature do not collapse for convenient storage. Since camping equipment is almost always carried into a campsite, even when car camping, it is advantageous to minimize the weight of storage containers.
Not surprisingly, to meet the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, various containers for storing and organizing gear used in outdoor activities have been devised. However, none of the containers known to Applicants adequately meet the needs addressed by the present invention.
As examples, the inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,683,157, 5,269,599 and 4,131,327 all relate to storage and organizing containers and kitchens for use in the outdoors. The invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,157 is a rigid portable kitchen for storing and preparing food. The frame is made of, for instance, plastic, and includes a main box having a solid top surface and a rigid, detachable sink connected to the main box. Similarly, the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,599, entitled Camper's Chuck Kitchen includes a rigid, trunk-like cabinet having multiple compartments for storage of food, and food preparation items such as plates, cups, mugs, utensils and the like.
While the camp organizers described in these patents represent helpful improvements for outdoor enthusiasts, they also are examples of containers that embody some of the limitations of many such devices. Most notably, these devices are rigid boxes that cannot be collapsed to make transportation or storage easier and more convenient. The present invention comprises a soft-sided collapsible storage/organizer. Although the invention is designed primarily for camping and other outdoor activities, it is just as useful for storing and organizing items in any particular setting. The invention comprises a lightweight frame that is easily disassembled for storage. The walls of the container are made of a durable fabric that is weather resistant for outdoor use. A molded plastic base provides a stable, rigid bottom platform for the unit. The sides of the unit may be collapsed after the frame has been removed for convenient storage. The lid of the unit, which has a zippered closure and is hinged to the upper walls of the container, includes support legs to define a work surface and loft for storage of gear. An integrated cutting board and work surface is attached to the top of the unit with fabric hinges. Adjustable internal dividers provide a plurality of storage compartments.